Flip Your Script: 9 Ways to Bust Mental Barriers to UDL

Embracing universal design for learning (UDL) takes a lot of careful planning and coordinated effort. But the first—and maybe trickiest—hurdle you might encounter is convincing the UDL skeptics. The people who love the idea in theory, but think it’ll eat up too much time and too many resources. The ones who worry about the ramifications for student behavior and performance. And the ones who think UDL is just a fancy term for differentiation—something they’re already doing for the students who need it.
In Universal Design for Learning in Action, Whitney Rapp shares and responds to the anti-UDL arguments she’s heard while working with teachers in various settings. Here are nine of them, with scripts and corresponding “flips” adapted from her book. If you’re trying to win over a UDL skeptic, keep these helpful responses handy (and see Whitney’s book for more in-depth answers and strategies).